The World health Organisation (WHO) have hinted that the current outbreak of Ebola virus disease ravaging Democratic Republic of Congo, seems to be stabilizing, though the disease still has an element of springing surprise.
According to Reuters, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said "It's stabilizing. We're optimistic, cautiously optimistic."
Ghebreyesus said he would journey to DR Congo on Sunday to ascertain the level of progress achieved in the past one month of epidemic, and that he would also go to neighbouring Central African Republic, which borders DR Congo to the South, as part of move to build up health systems in the fragile and impoverished country.
Up to 1,000 persons who have had contact with Ebola patients have been vaccinated and health workers are working to get vaccine to more remote affected areas of the Central African Republic.
They are also working to get the word out to people in the city and country alike about the deadly disease, which has never affected this particular part of Congo before.
WHO, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) or Doctors Without Borders, as well as other groups have learned to take a subtle approach, even as they feel pressured to quickly enlighten people about the risks of Ebola, whose symptoms can resemble those of a half-dozen common tropical illnesses such as malaria.
Patients with suspected Ebola must be isolated immediately, and anyone coming into close contact should be protected with layers of gear.
The virus is spread in bodily fluids such as blood, feces, sweat and seminal fluids, which are on and inside the bodies of patients suffering from the virus.
Anywhere between 50 percent and 90 percent of people who become infected with Ebola dies.
